[jambop]

 This year I will be growing Charlotte as I always do but I am also trying out Ratte as I have heard so much about this spud... it sounds too good to be true  Time will tell but I am giving it a try I have 25 plants so should get a decent crop I hope.

[comfreykid]

My two favourite spuds ! , l love  Charlotte for its flavour and keeping qualities , and Ratte for its unique nutty flavour, steamed in their skins , with lots of butter  , they are something else ! 

[Debz]

For the first time ever, I'm not doing Charlotte.  I was really disappointed with them last year and I know the weather plays a big part in that but when there's so many varieties to try, I thought I'd do something different.  Can't actually remember what I've chosen though........

[Growster...]

Going to go back to an old fave and at home, where I can keep an eye on them!

Pentland Javelin were the first spud we ever grew all those years ago, and while we tried them in bags they were so disappointing, we're back to trad methods again, with some decent earthing up and cover against frost whenever we need!

Charlotte were a fave down on 'The Patch', but not this time!

[Snowboar]

Same here I’m trying traditional methods I grew in buyers with potato fertilizer and manure and crop was a waste of time put it down to’ watering so going in ground

[rowlandwells]

this years potato crops will be  charlotte Cara acoustic pink fir apple and maris bard and International kidney as our early variety always use a quality potato fertilizer the potato crop could have been better last year although we have enough potatoes to last us up to around the end of May

we grew Desiree as our main crop last year the ground we grew them on wasn't as good as the potato ground we grew the previous year but then we had to grow to the planned rotation so going back to Cara as said this year and trying Maris bard as a second early as a trial

[comfreykid]

I’m interested in this acoustic variety , have you grown it before ?

[rowlandwells]

Hi comfreykid no I haven't grew that potato variety acoustic before I just happened to be walking round our local garden centre when I seen this variety  I had already bought my earlies and main crop seed so I thought I would try a second early I had already read up on this variety said to have exceptional blight resistance with a delicious taste ?

so I don't really know how they will crop on our allotment but I've noted in my garden log to reply to this site how they turn out so why don't you give Acoustic a try

[comfreykid]

Thanks for that RW , and l would love to give them a go but can’t find anyone who stocks the variety around here. Think l will try on line 

[lettice]

It is one great thing with potatoes, the number of varied and interesting varieties.

I will this year be growing the normal staples like Charlotte, International Kidney, Duke of York Red, Desiree, Mozart, Pink Fir Apple, Sarpo Mira.

My others I will be growing for the first time this year are Sally, Sarpo Una,  Aaron Victory and Alouette. Will also be growing Cara and Nicola again that I grew successfully many years ago.

Last year I tried Sarpo Axona and Stemster, they both cropped ok. Stemster would make a good baked potato, as it grew large across the yield. I grow Sarpo Mira for that and for my frozen chips, so not really wanting another larger type (well Mira are much larger of course) going forward. But also found Stemster did not store very well,
Sarpo Axona yielded well, but it was very similar to my Desiree and Mozart staple in taste and style. Worth a try, but not for me.
Did also continue to try Blue Danube for a second year and found them a tasty potato and do crop very well indeed. But decided to  hold off on them this year. There is always a compromise.

A bit like Pink fir Apple, would like to grow Ratte as mentioned above, but not seen them in my normal suppliers. Expect they would grow much the same as Pink Fir Apple, is that right? 

[mumofstig]

I've just been tempted by Marshall's buy1get1free offer....
So as well as the Nicola, Pentland Javelin, Sarpo Mira and Blue Danube I have chitting - I've now have Pink Fir Apple and Cara on order 
I've no idea where I can squeeze them in yet 

[lettice]

I've just been tempted by Marshall's buy1get1free offer....
So as well as the Nicola, Pentland Javelin, Sarpo Mira and Blue Danube I have chitting - I've now have Pink Fir Apple and Cara on order 
I've no idea where I can squeeze them in yet 

Re the Pink Fir Apple.
I've grown these for a few years now and as I've said on here before, grow all my maincrop in bags. first and second early in raised beds.
I put four in a  potato bag and the yield is a couple of handfuls each week from mid summer to late Autumn. Just eat them as you go, don't bother to store. Pick them when they are anything from two to four inches in size. Do not peel them. They steam well and roast in about 30 minutes. Yum!
Find it is easy to delve down and pick out without disturbing the seed potato at all. But, I plant the seed potato near the edge of the bag in a NSEW, so do exactly know where they are.
Have found the foliage to grow very tall, but stays strong.
I'm convinced the more you pick the more you get, probably not...
They do seem to scatter well across the bag, so are nicely dislodged with movement and watering.
Not tried, but would think in a raised bed they would do well as well as a bucket. Just being smaller and thus prolific in quantity.

[Snow]

I'll be growing mine (pentland javelin  and yukon gold) in a bed I've mulched with seaweed over winter, looking forward to seeing if that works.

Does anyone here grow in seaweed? I know they have used it I the past with jersey royals and I have seen people in the western Isles use it

[lettice]

Living a very short walk from the beach, I walk on the beach daily and do about once a month pick up some seaweed from its mid beach section.
Do place some of it in a bucket and let the rain water soak over it and mix some of that over the major crops along with home and multi compost for my potatoes, as an additional feed.
Have for a while used is as a mulch along with home made compost during autumn and winter on my asparagus bed for my original crowns. It has never harmed them and certainly that bed has always provided very well.
More recently have done exactly the same for the asparagus plants I've grown from seed, they all produced wonderfully last few years.

Do not see why a mulch would cause any issues with a potato bed, but would mix other compost in too, before plating.

[lettice]

I've grown International Kidney (Jersey) here for many years.
They turn out exactly like a Jersey royal. It is often said that on the South coast we are lucky and they grow well here. Not so in many other parts I've heard.
Do not see though why a certain mulch would make any specific difference to a variety. But as above I do add a bit in the compost mix to all my potato crops.